Tool for insertion and removal of closure fittings



Nov. 29, 1960 R. E. JOHNSON 2,961,756

' TOOL FOR INSERTION AND REMOVAL OF CLOSURE FITTINGS Filed Oct. 29. 1956INVENTOR ROBERT E. JOHNSON TOOL FOR INSERTION AND REMOVAL OF CLOSUREFITTINGS Robert E. Johnson, Easton, Conn., assignor, by mesneassignments, to American Flange and Manufacturing 'Co., Inc., New York,N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 29, 1956, Ser. No. 618,789 3Claims. (Cl. 29-235) The present invention relates to a tool fortheinsertion and removal of close fitting insert rings, and especiallyto a lever-action hand manipulated tool for inserting an internallythreaded plastic ring into a drum discharge nozzle opening to receive athreaded closure plug and for removing said ring when desired.

Exit of contained liquid from the interior of the 'common cylindricalmetal drum is afforded by a discharge opening in the head of the drum.This opening may consist of a nozzle defined by an upwardly extendingcircular lip integral with the surrounding sheet metal of the drum head.The nozzle with the threaded insert therein is employed to receivepumping apparatus for emptying the drum as well as for receiving athreaded plug closure member for sealing the drum during ship ment. Theexternal surfaceof the ring is unthreaded and may be slightly larger indiameter than the inside diameter of the discharge nozzle opening aswell as -..i

larger than the overhanging and underhanging rims of the nozzle and thering must therefore be forcibly inserted into place. This force fit aidsin obtaining both a good seal and a secure seat for the plastic plug.However, it was found that with known tools insertion and rem-oval ofthe ring were difficult operations at best. Furthermore, unintentionaldislodging of the ring down through the opening into the interior of thedrum was not uncommon. My invention embodies in a single tool means toeliminate this danger and to perform the insertion and removaloperations quickly, efiiciently, and with the least expenditure ofeffort.

The objects of my invention are accomplished in general by providing alight weight dual hand tool with leveraction means at opposite ends toinsert and remove the ring. The interposed handle section serves as arigid lever arm by which the required moment can be manually exerted toovercome the interference between the ring and the discharge opening. Ahook member is incorporated in the removal means to serve both as afulcrum point and as a grasping member adapted to retain the ring on thetool after it has been dislodged. On the insertion means a pivotedsupporting member is employed as a mount by which the ring is retainedon the tool prior to insertion.

Reference to the accompanying drawings and the following detaileddescription will more clearly illustrate my invention.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view of the tool;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of an insert ring positioned in the nozzleof a drum;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the removal means;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the insertion means;.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the removal means operationallypositioned in the inserted ring, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of the insert means operationallypositioned in the inserted ring.

In Fig. 1 the entire tool is shown consisting of insertion means 1,removal means 2, and handle section 3. The insertion and removal meansare located on oppo- 2,961,756 Patented Nov. 29, 19,60

site end portions of the tool and are securely attached to handlesection 3 by screw threads 4 and 5, respectively. Handle section 3 is anextended bar approximately a foot in lentgh and of sufficient diameterto be readily grasped in the operators hand.

The plastic insert ring-6 is shown in Fig. 2 within discharge opening 7located in the metal drum head 8. Discharge opening 7 is encircled bynozzle 9 having .an annular channel 10 in the inside wall thereofdefined by an inturned flange 11 and a throat 12. The nozzle is anintegral part of the metal drum head 8. The plastic insert ring 6 hasthreads 13 formed on its inside diameter to receive an externallythreaded closure plug.

Shoulder 14 on the exterior surface of ring 6 cooperates with annularchannel 10 in nozzle 9 when the ring is operationally positioned. Toinsure a tight fit of the ring in the discharge opening the diameter ofthe ring across the shoulder 14 may be slightly greater than the.inside'diameter of 'the annular channel 10. Thus the .ring undergoesdefinite deformation during insertion.

Removal means 2 is shown in Fig. 3. Rigid straight iarrn 15, afiixed tohandle section 3, has hook member 16 depending downwardly from itsextreme outer end and is faced off by abutting surface 18. Hook member16, incorporated as the ring retaining means, extends beby an arouateextension 20 firmly attached to foot .19.

In the insertion means illustrated in Fig. 4, rigid bent arm 21 isafiixed to handle section 3 and has an abutting surface 22 adjacent toits extreme outer end on the lower surface thereof. Depending downwardlyfrom bent arm 21, rearwardly of surface 22, is member 23 drilled throughlaterally at its lower end to receive pin 24. Mount 25, centrallyslotted at 26 to receive the lower end of member 23, pivots on the endsof pin 24 extending from either side of member 23. In operation mount 25serves as the ring supporting means by underlying the ring prior toinsertion. Adjacent to the outer end of mount 25 on the upper surfacethereof is an abutting surface 27. The extreme inner end of mount 25 isdefined by the flanged are 28, the upper surface of which forms anabutting surface 29.

Fig. 5 illustrates the method by which the removal means is used toextract the inserted ring. Hook mem ber 16 is directed through the ringand abuting surface 18 is brought in light contact with threads 13, thuslocating the foot 19 at its proper position on the opposite uppersurface of the ring as shown. This also places abutting surface 17 atthe extreme end of hook member 16 in contact with the underside of thedrum head 8. Handle section 3 is now directed manually downward as shownby the arrow, thus pivoting the entire tool about abutting surface 17 atthe end of the hook member. Foot 19 descends forcing ring 6 downwardlyand out of annular channel 10. When the ring is completely dislodged itfalls onto hook member 16 and is then drawn out of the discharge openingin the grasp of the hook.

The method of inserting the ring is illustrated in Fig. 6. Ring 6 isfirst manually located on the upper surface of mount 25 encirclingmember 23 so that its lower outside surface abuts the flanged are 28 onthe left as shown. This locates the opposite lower edge of the ring onthe abutting surface 27 at the outer end of mount 25. In this positionthe ring is safely supported on the tool and is now ready to be insertedinto the discharge opening. The mount 25, arcuate flanged end first, isdirected into the nozzle opening the ring 6 being manually deformed topass through the-opening therewith. After the mount 25 and ring 6 arewith the drum the handle section 3 is directed manually upwardly and tothe right as shown by the arrow. After the ring snaps into place in theannular channel 10, the handle 3'is directed to'the left thus unclampingthe ring, and the mount 25 is removed upward therethrough.

It will be obvious to persons skilled in this art that the form of myinvention herein illustrated is only one specific embodiment.Modifications may Well be made to this form without departing from thescope of theinvention and therefore I do not limitmyself to thisillustrated form but rather only to the extent set forth in thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A tool for the removal of resilient plastic insert rings located inan annular channel of a nozzle formed in a drum head, wherein said ringsare generally cylindrical and are formed with an outwardly extending ribreceivable in a mating channel in the nozzle to hold said rings in placein the nozzle but are capable of being pushed out of the nozzle andwherein said tool is formed to push the rings out of the nozzle inwardlyof the container and to catch them, before they drop into the container,on a tool portion which enables them to be fished out of the container,which tool comprises a handle portion at one end, a generally U-shapedhook portion at the other end and a depending insertdislodging memberintermediate said hook portion and said handle portion, said hookportion having the opposed parallel legs of said U of substantial extentand spaced sufliciently to readily receive the side wall of said ring,said hook portion to be inserted through said ring and to lie beneathone lower edge thereof with the outermost end of'said hook portionengaging the inner face of the drum to serve as a fulcrum and saiddepending insert dislodging member extending downwardly from said toolhandle and spaced from said hook portion so as to engage the upper endof the side of said ring remote from the portion embraced by said hook,said dislodging member on the downward movement of said tool handleserving to press said insert out of said nozzle channel by the pivotingaction of said tool about said fulcrum whereby said dislodged insertwill drop on to the bite of said U for support thereby.

2. A tool as in claim 1, said depending insert dislodging member beingof arcuate formation in its horizontal extent on a curve complementaryto the curvature of the upper end of the ring member to be engagedthereby.

3. A tool as in claim 1, said depending insert dislodging memberincluding an arcuate insert engaging extension on an are complementaryto the curvature of the upper end of the side of said ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 56,431Myers et a1. July 17, 1866 111,351 Kirby Jan. 21, 1871 222,094 StewartNov. 25, 1879 675,921 Bauer June 11, 1901 740,122 Greenwood Sept. 29,1903 780,727 Pendergast I an. 24, 1905 1,151,712 Phillips Aug. 31, 19151,444,280 Slough Feb. 6, 1923 1,964,468 Irvine June 26, 1934 1,968,640Elms July 31, 1934 2,118,314 Kranz May 24, 1938 2.439.501 Yelkin Apr.13, 1948

